The Southern Police Institute is pleased to announce their new Associate Director, Mike Bassi. Mike Bassi comes to SPI with over 25 years of Law Enforcement Experience, most recently as a Retired Lieutenant with the Washoe County Sheriff's Office, in Reno, Nevada, where he spent 21 years.

During his time in law enforcement, Mike worked a variety of assignments, to include Corrections, Boot-Camp, Patrol, SWAT, Marine Patrol (Lake Tahoe), Academy Staff Officer and multiple genres of training, to include FTO/PTO. Mike was also a Detective, serving on the FBI Innocent Images Taskforce, and was also trained by the FBI in Forensic Child Interview. Mike worked several homicide investigations, receiving awards for being case agent and co-case agent on solved and adjudicated murders.

As a leader, Mike worked line supervisor and Watch Commander positions in Corrections and Patrol, had supervisory positions in Research/Development and Training and served as SWAT Assistant Team Leader. Additionally, he filled Command roles in several areas of responsibility, to include, Dispatch/Communications, Training Division, and the Background Investigations Division. He was also assigned as the Director of the Regional Public Safety Training Center and Commander of the Northern Nevada (Regional) Law Enforcement Academy.

Mike served as Vice-Chair of the Washoe County Emergency Response Advisory Committee and as a Board Member for the Trauma Intervention Program of Northern Nevada. He was Adjunct Faculty at both Western Nevada College and Truckee Meadows Community College, teaching Bachelor level courses in Criminal Justice. He is a third-generation Marine, serving as a Military Police Officer in both US and overseas assignments.

He earned his Bachelor of Arts, Summa Cum Laude in Social and Criminal Justice from Ashford University and also holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University. He is currently finishing his second Masters, in Criminal Justice Administration from the University of Louisville and is a graduate of the 141st Administrative Officer's Course at the Southern Police Institute. He is a proud husband to Erin and father to their three kids, Austin, Sierra, and Kaili.

The Southern Police Institute will be graduating the 142nd Class of the Administrative Officers Course on Thursday, November 8, 2019.

Southern Police Institute News